Hidden Vault Containing 74 kg of Gold Uncovered Behind Wall in Bogor
Police are investigating three corruption cases and conducted searches at 12 locations. During a search of a luxury home in Sentul, Bogor, officers discovered 74 kg of gold bars in a vault hidden behind a wall.
The series of searches was carried out by police on Wednesday (8/7/2026). The searches are directly linked to corruption investigations within PT PLN (Persero), PT ASABRI (Persero), and PT Krakatau Steel (Persero) Tbk. While searching a house in Sentul, West Java, police found a jumbo-sized vault.
Based on video footage received, police officers wearing blue criminal investigation jackets were seen opening a brown wood-patterned wall. When the wall was opened, a large white vault door was discovered. The brown wall appeared to have no space behind it, but when opened by officers, a large vault was clearly visible. The investigation team from the Police Corruption Eradication Corps (Kortas Tipikor) and Polda Metro Jaya then seized the hidden jumbo vault.
Head of the Police Corruption Eradication Corps, Inspector General Totok Suharyanto, stated that the evidence was found in a locked vault and stored in seven suitcases. Police also found foreign currency in US and Singapore dollar denominations inside the vault. “A locked vault was found, and when opened, it contained seven suitcases. The first contained 74 kg of gold bars, then USD 4,767,300, then SGD 14,083,800, and then Rp 100 million. The total estimate in rupiah is Rp 476 billion,” Totok said at the Bogor Green Golf Housing complex in the early hours of Thursday (9/7).
Totok has not yet explained who owns the house. The search is suspected to be related to the handling of three corruption cases at PLN, ASABRI, and Krakatau Steel. “That is still under investigation by the investigators,” Totok said in response to questions about the owner of the searched house. “It has been explained earlier, we will convey the details after the entire investigation process is carried out,” added Totok, who was accompanied by Polda Metro Jaya Director of General Criminal Investigation, Senior Commissioner Iman Imanuddin, and Bogor Police Chief, AKBP Wikha Ardilestanto.
Police searched the house in Sentul, Bogor, West Java, which is suspected to be linked to three corruption cases at PLN, ASABRI, and Krakatau Steel. From the location, police removed seven suitcases and bags containing evidence of cash and gold bars using tactical vehicles.
The suitcases containing evidence were taken away by officers around 05.00 WIB on Thursday (9/7). Under tight guard by heavily armed Brimob officers, the suitcases and bags were loaded one by one into the prepared tactical vehicle. Each suitcase had writing explaining its contents. One was labelled ‘Suitcase 2. 25 Gold Bars 1 KG’. Meanwhile, a large black bag with red trim was labelled ‘SUITCASE 3’ with writing underneath stating ‘26,700 twenty-six thousand seven hundred sheets of USD 100 denomination’, then ‘2,400 (Two Thousand Four Hundred) sheets of SGD 1,000 denomination’ and ‘16 (sixteen) sheets of SGD 100 denomination’.
The items obtained from the search were then taken to Polda Metro Jaya. The evidence arrived at the Polda Metro Jaya Special Criminal Investigation Directorate building at 10.20 WIB. A police tactical vehicle carrying the suitcases containing gold and other evidence was seen escorted by dozens of Brimob officers. When unloaded, the words ‘gold bars’ were visible on the outside of the seized suitcases. Officers worked together to lift the suitcases containing the gold bars. A person was also seen being secured and taken into the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate building.
A locksmith was involved in opening the vault. The locksmith, named Roy from Ciawi, Bogor, arrived at the location after being called by the police. “I was called by the Bogor Police, asked to come here to help with a job to open a vault,” Roy said when met in Sentul, Bogor, on Thursday (9/7). Roy said the vault found by police at the search location was an expensive type with good security quality. Roy mentioned that after breaking the manual lock, the opening process continued using a cutting machine or grinder. “That vault was special. The estimated price is more than Rp 20 million. The security system is good. The lock uses a combination dial and a manual key. So two locks, a sophisticated vault, expensive. It has two layers of steel, so it’s not just a regular iron box vault,” Roy said. “Once inside, we moved quickly, used the grinder, and opened it immediately. It took about 15 minutes,” he added.
Roy stated that the vault was located on the second floor of the house and was camouflaged. Behind the vault door, he said, there was a room with an area of about 1.5 square metres. “The vault’s position was on the second floor, in a room. It was like it was covered by a wardrobe. The size was about more than 1 metre, 1.5 metres by 80 cm. Its position was inside the wall, sir. So that was the vault door, and inside was a room, not a typical iron box vault, but a room,” Roy said. “Inside the room, I saw suitcases, but I only saw them from the outside, I didn’t go in,” he added.
Polda Metro Jaya Head of Public Relations, Senior Commissioner Budi Hermanto, confirmed that the investigation into the alleged corruption cases at PLN, ASABRI, and Krakatau Steel has the direct attention of President Prabowo Subianto. “This is the President’s attention to alleged corruption cases, which is a concern for the police to uncover and investigate. This series of searches is part of the investigation process to find and collect evidence to fulfil the investigation process,” Budi Hermanto said after a search at Cafe de’Clan, Cipete, South Jakarta, on Wednesday (8/7). Budi stated that the search was part of uncovering alleged corruption in coal at PLN, which triggered a blackout in Sumatra some time ago, as well as cases at ASABRI and Krakatau Steel. The corruption cases under investigation include bribery, gratification, and money laundering.